In a year which has seen businesses across the UK & beyond struggle to adapt to the expectations put upon them by the CV19 pandemic: Dolphin N2 have continued to make considerable advances with the development of their CryoPower split-cycle engine.
ThermoPower & CryoPower – the Recuperated Split Cycle Engines
ThermoPower & CryoPower directly mitigate the sustained growth of oil demand in commercial sectors, competing head-on with batteries and fuel cells in terms of air quality and energy efficiency and with significant cost advantage. The technology is fully compatible with sustainable, net-zero fuels including hydrogen and biomethane.
With an impressive development to market project history, the Dolphin N2 team continue to prove in the face of adversity that their ‘Game-changing’ technology continues to gain traction. Herewith is a precis of the Dolphin N2 journey to date:
- Innovate project “StepCo2″consortium of UK manufacturers and universities was formed in 2017 and led by Ricardo PLC to develop the split cycle technology and to produce a demonstration engine.
- Dolphin-N2 was created internally in Ricardo as a separate group
- Dolphin N2 is purchased by FPT Industrial in December 2019 and takes the lead in StepCo2 project.
- Dolphin N2 develops the technology for first scale demonstration in 2020, and forms a further APC grant funded consortium to showcase hydrogen capability
The most recent grant awarded through the APC (Advanced Propulsion Centre) ARMD (Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator) provides additional funding for Dolphin N2 at a crucial time in the development of their recuperated split cycle engine. This investment enables Dolphin N2 to continue the efficiency improvements & research the combustion of alternative fuels including hydrogen. This part funding from the government through ARMD, showcases how investment in a UK post Covid Green Recovery is forging ahead.
With all of the Dolphin N2 team having spent the better part of six months working remotely for the best part of lockdown 1, continuing to work in rotation from their offices based in Shoreham & working closely with Professor Morgan from the University of Brighton; it was a rare moment on Thursday 29 October when the majority of the team gathered for their first collective photo shoot.
Trying to gather as many of the Dolphin N2 team together at any given time is a logistical feat in itself & having had to contend with the initial restrictions of the first lockdown; it has been a rarity for the majority of the team to be in the same place at the same time in the past year.
Therefore, with many new faces supporting the Dolphin N2 project, it was decided to take a moment & spend a day collating a decent library of team images for future media representation. Of course, none of the team could have foreseen the announcement made on Saturday 31 October regarding the second lockdown & therefore it was a well chosen pre-emptive gathering.
Virtually Smart Ltd who provide Business Management Support for the Dolphin N2 team, Project Managed the photo shoot, collaborated with a local photographer & coordinated the day to run smoothly. It was also a great opportunity for Dolphin N2 team members to hold valuable conversations & mini meetings throughout the day, face to face (social distancing protocols allowing) to discuss the progress of the project.
Advances in technology have meant that the Dolphin N2 team have been operating in a virtual environment for most of the year have managed to hold meetings online & continued to design & develop the CryoPower split-cycle engine. However, there is something to be said for a person to person conversation. Amongst the photography, the Dolphin N2 team members continued to work, analyse & hold conversations regarding the engine development, which created a fluid & energetic flow to the day.
With such a seemingly ordinary event having taken place in such an extraordinary year & with this one day having brought the entire team safely together; the Dolphin N2 team were not only able to allow their media & website presence to be updated, but it also enabled them to have some much needed team moments together, when all around them the challenges of the pandemic continue.
Written by Katy-Jane Mason for & on behalf of the Dolphin N2 team
